Amanda Davidson - Charting A New Course

Amanda Davidson is a Canadian athlete born in Scarborough, which is a borough of Toronto, Ontario. Her love for basketball is what kick started her Elite1 journey, and she later took those lessons and transferred them into a career as a semi pro football player.

P.H.A.S.E. 1 has been a steady part of Amanda ‘s progress. We caught up with her to discuss the life lessons she learned early on, and how working with P.H.A.S.E. 1 prepared her for her new career.

Who in your family provided you with the support/motivation/encouragement?

My mother would be the most supportive and worst critic that I have. She is also my motivation. I goal is to make it so that she can retire early.

Who got you started in sports?

Sports for me started at an early age. During elementary school, as the seasons changed, I changed sports, mostly school yard pick up, football, basketball, soccer baseball (kickball), whatever sport was being played, I played it.

Why did you choose basketball?

I’m not sure if I chose basketball or if basketball chose me. But once I started playing I knew I never wanted to stop.

Where did you train?

I didn’t start any formal training until I was in grade 9 and joined my first Ontario Basketball Association (OBA) team. Before that I trained with friends and neighbours. Once I was introduced to P.H.A.S.E. 1 and Wayne Dawkins, my game was finally taken to the next level. P.H.A.S.E. 1 helped me become one of the top players in the country and helped me earn a scholarship to play basketball in the United States.

What did you learn about training at west hill?

Training at West Hill, taught me what it meant to work hard and be a gym rat. We lived in the gym. We were working on our craft before school, during lunch and after school. If you want to be good or even great, you have to put the hours in. Being at West Hill allowed me to get much needed gym time.

I was constantly working out with the guys. It was me and one other female in the gym most days training and competing with elite athletes such as Denham Brown (NBA draft Seattle Supersonics), Chris Stewart (NHL Anahime Ducks), Kyle Johnson (British Olympic Team and professional basketball player), Jevhon Sheppard (Professional Athlete and Canadian National Team Member), Ashton Smith (NBA D-League Raptors 905), and many more, lead by our coach Wayne Dawkins.

Where did you go after high school?

After high school I did two years of Junior College, and then received a full scholarship to NCAA Division I school Alcorn State University. I earned a bachelor's in Health, Physical Education and Recreation, gained my masters in Secondary Education with and endorsement in Athletic Administration and Coaching and graduated with honors. I am the Director of Education and Physical Literacy for P.H.A.S.E. 1

What is it like trying to stay ready for pro opportunities?

It’s a constant grind. You never know who’s watching or looking for players. You have to stay ready and be ready to go at a moment’s notice.

How did your past training at West Hill C.I./P.H.A.S.E. 1 help you transition from Basketball to Women’s semi-pro tackle football?

Training at West Hill C.I. and P.H.A.S,E. 1 helped me transition from basketball to women’s football in various ways. One, the fundamental movements that I learned over the years training under P.H.A.S.E. 1 is the same for the majority of sports. Building that foundation made it an easy transition physically from one to sport to the other. The second way is through mental toughness. We were constantly challenged while training at West Hill C.I. and with P.H.A.S.E. 1, so it was easy to be able to deal with the mental pressures that occur while playing football. I became a better athlete being trained under P.H.A.S.E. 1. I owe a lot of my athletic success to P.H.A.S.E. 1, training with Wayne put me in position to not only receive athletic scholarships, but help build an athletic foundation that I can apply to various sports and be successful. I am now in my third year playing semi professional women’s tackle football, and I am one of the most dominating players in the league. This wouldn’t be possible without the training I received and continue to receive through P.H.A.S.E. 1.

What are some of your goals moving forward?

Some of my goals moving forward is to continue to build my brand as an athlete and grow in different athletic development aspects via P.H.A.S.E. 1’S physical literacy program and athlete development program.